ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has told workers and followers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to launch a movement to fill up Pakistani prisons from today, Wednesday, by voluntarily offering to be arrested by the police.

Khan announced the decision to launch the “Jail Bharo” – or fill up the jails – campaign on February 4 after several of his party leaders were arrested by the authorities in recent months. Many of these leaders were taken into custody on sedition charges after they made critical comments against top military officials and other government functionaries.

The former prime minister said in a Twitter post on Wednesday his party was ready to initiate a “nonviolent protest against our constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights.”

He also maintained the protest movement was also meant to raise a voice against “the economic meltdown” caused by the current administration of the country whose leaders he accused of making ill-gotten wealth.

“I am requesting all Pakistanis today to participate in our Jail Bharo movement to secure real independence,” he announced in a short video clip.

Khan described the campaign as “jihad,” adding it would ultimately lead to a state that would take care of people’s fundamental rights.

“The more of you participate in it the quicker we will get to our objectives and secure real independence for the country,” he continued.

Former governor of Punjab province Omar Cheema also announced on Twitter that PTI workers would begin the campaign from the eastern Lahore city where they would gather at the party head office at 12 before leaving for Charing Cross to court arrest.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, a leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, dismissed Khan’s campaign while maintaining he was not in favor of detaining political workers belonging to any faction in the country.

The former prime minister was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote last April and has since called for early elections in Pakistan.

He also launched an anti-government caravan last year and dissolved two provincial assemblies to mount pressure on the government to hold snap polls across the country